Benny Baby
by Pinschar
Summary: Gally confronts Ben the night before his banishment; fluff and angst.


**Disclaimer: I do not own these wonderful characters. The Maze Runner series belongs to James Dashner . . .**

The boy sat alone, his head in his hands and his mind distant. The ache in his cheek was stabbing and constant, but nothing could amount to the internal suffering he felt. He knew that his banishment was inevitable – nothing could change that – and it made him feel as if a jagged blade was ripping at his chest. He stayed like that for several minutes, crouched and unmoving.

"Ben?" The gruff, sandpapery voice sliced through his thoughts. There was a moment of thick silence. The blonde-haired boy, however, chose not to respond.

"Ben." This time it wasn't a question, it was a demand. There was another moment of silence, then the door swung open with a protestant creak. The muscular figure stepped in – slowly, as if to not startle Ben – then closed the homestead door behind him. Gally.

Ben looked up at the boy with distaste. "What do you want?" he spat.

Gally was taken aback for a second, but then the dark-haired teenager crouched down beside him, sarcasm written all over his face. "Nothing," he replied. "Just thought you'd like a little comforting." The boy sneered. "Maybe Benny baby even wants a goodnight kiss."

Ben scooted away from him, growling in annoyance and warning. The boy, however, persisted.

"How's that cheek of yours?"

"Better, thank you," replied Ben, regaining a bit of his old confidence. "Wish Alby'd aimed a little higher, though." A half smile crept onto his face. Surely that had shut Gally up to some extent.

Ben still sighed, though. At the end of the day, it _was_ the truth. He was fully aware of what was going to happen the next day, and he'd much rather have been killed by an arrow to the head than have to spend a night alone with the Grievers.

"Right," was all Gally could say.

"Goodbye, then," snarled Ben. The silence that followed hung in the air, awkward and dragging. But Gally didn't move.

"I'm sorry," the boy sighed, shaking his head, "but I just don't like it when you talk like that."

"Well, I guess that's what the Changing does to people, slinthead," Ben retorted. He arched his back to stretch.

"Tell me about it." Gally slowly crawled over to him, closing the gap which Ben had formed between them.

"This is gonna sound random as shuck, but" – he cleared his throat and took in a shaky breath – "you're the only real friend I have in this godforsaken place." His speech was slow, almost slurred. "I mean, Winston's a good guy an' all – he'll have my back – but I feel like I'm gonna lose a real friend tomorrow."

Ben looked over at him, blinking in bewilderment. "You serious?" His voice was laced with surprise.

Gally nodded. "Yeah. You and me – troublemakers from the beginning, shank." He paused for a moment, sighing. "And who refused to leave my bedside while I was going through the Changing?"

Ben's face suddenly turned scarlet. He waited for a few seconds, then said the words.

"I did."

Memories suddenly forced themselves back into his mind. Memories of Gally; convulsing in pain, screaming, but Gally nonetheless. Then a sudden thought struck him.

That thought materialized into words. "Did – did _you_ stay with _me_?"

Gally gazed back over at his friend, meeting his eyes. "Yes," he replied. "I mean, it was hard with my duties as a Keeper and everything, but I tried to stay within the homestead."

For a minute, Ben was lost for words. Cocky, disdainful, arrogant Gally, watching over him like a . . . guardian angel of sorts. The thought made the blonde-haired boy blush slightly. He turned away to hide the redness of his face.

"You okay, Benny baby?" The use of his pet name stirred something further within the pit of Ben's stomach. Then, with a rush of realization, guilt washed over him. He couldn't be having feelings for anyone, especially Gally, and especially now.

Ben just bit his lip and nodded.

They were swallowed by a gaping hole of silence for a moment, but then Gally opened his arms and gestured for Ben to fall into them. "Come here," he instructed. Ben surprised himself when he refused the affectionate offer.

The lean boy just shook his head. Now it was Gally's turn to blush.

"Oh." He folded his arms embarrassedly. A sudden wave of guilt washed over Ben as he saw the usually cocky boy turn red in the face and stare down at the floor. It was obvious that Gally was itching to say something, though, but Ben beat him to it.

"I-I'm sorry," he told his friend. Gally just shook his head. Why is this bothering him so much? wondered Ben, cocking his head slightly to the side. But he continued nevertheless.

"Would you like me to" – he gestured to Gally's folded arms – "come over?"

Gally shrugged. "Whatever."

Ben was hoping for a more satisfying, certain answer. And so, he stayed put. Maybe he _was_ beginning to warm up to Gally; maybe he'd just missed his chance.

Awkwardness hung like an elephant in the room. From time to time, Ben glanced over at Gally. His friend, however, didn't even acknowledge him. The tension ate away at Ben's insides until he decided enough was enough.

"You want to leave?"

"No." Gally's reply was so sure, so sudden that it startled the boy.

He sighed, then he continued. "Ben?"

"Yeah."

"Can you keep a secret until" – Gally paused momentarily, clearly thinking of a way to soften the blow – "tomorrow evening?"

Ben shrugged. "Sure."

"No, I'm being serious," Gally told him, grabbing the boy by the chin. "Look at me."

Ben didn't say anything; Gally sighed.

"Have – have you ever had this feeling where – well, it's like – every time you see..."

Ben, taken aback by Gally's loss for words, blinked a few times. There was a strained silence after that.

"Oh, shuck it," the Keeper eventually said, then he leaned over to capture Ben's lips with his own.

Ben could feel the heat rising in his cheeks, embarrassment washing over him. But then he felt his eyelids flutter shut, felt himself returning the kiss, melting into Gally's arms.

The pair wrapped their arms around each other; Gally smiled against Ben's lips as he heard the boy moan slightly. Then, after what could have only been a minute, they both pulled away. They cuddled for a while, one of them occasionally finding the other's lips, and then fell asleep in each other's arms.

"Goodnight, Benny baby."

Those were the words Gally whispered as he brushed the hair from Ben's sleeping face.

And those were the words Gally uttered as the walls slid shut the next evening.


End file.
